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Out to Launch

Running shoe manufacturer ASICS launched a print campaign in an effort to deepen its connection with runners.
The campaign taps into various motivations behind what makes runners run. Each ad begins with the phrase "My Running Partner." "My running partner has eight arms," referring to a
crew team rowing past the jogger, says one ad. See it here. Remaining ads target various levels of runners. Running partners
include a dog and an evil twin. Click here, here and here to see the ads. The campaign also
includes a new tagline -- "Sound mind, sound body" -- that stems from the meaning behind the ASICS acronym, anima sana in corpore sano, which translates to "a sound mind in a
sound body." Who knew? Ads are launching in the March issues of Runner's World, Men's Health, Shape, GQ, In Style and Real Simple, to name a few. VitroRobertson handled all
aspects of the campaign.

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Don't call it the Dominican Republic
-- it's a separate country. Dominica, known as the nature island of the Caribbean, launched a tourism campaign touting its plethora of natural attractions and the degree of difficulty it takes
to get there. Judging by the photography, this place is worth the hassle. "Yes, we have no direct flights. Or high-rise buildings, traffic jams, or casinos..." begins one ad, with a
waterfall backdrop. Look closely and you'll see a tourist in the midst of everything. Click here to see the ad. The
remaining ads highlight the country's underwater volcanoes and sulphurous lakes that are a three-hour hike away -- and not for swimming. Click here and here to see the ads. Ads are running stateside
in Outside Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Caribbean Travel and Life, Scuba Diving, and Dive Training. Green Team created the "Defy The Everyday" campaign and
Cross Media handled the media buy.

Pepsi
launched a new branding campaign and new tag line: "More Happy." The streets of San Francisco are transformed into a pinball machine, with a young man taken for quite a ride on the new Pepsi
logo. I'll file this under the categories "balls" and "San Francisco," along with the Sony Bravia and Travelers Insurance ads. Watch
the ad here. Another ad, "Beachball," shows the Pepsi logo turned beachball, staying aflight as it's bounced from country to country. Click here to watch it.BBDO New York created the campaign and OMD handled the media buy.

The Egyptian Tourism Authority launched "The Gift of the
Sun," a worldwide TV and print campaign in Asia, Europe, and North America. The TV spot highlights 10 iconic images of Egypt, each with the sun prominently featured in
the background. Find the pyramids at Giza, sunset felucca cruises on the Nile, bustling souks and desert landscapes. Watch the ad here.Print ads mirror the TV spot, showing the sun as the gift
received while partaking in various activities. For instance, the sun sits atop a golf tee in one ad and atop a camel's back in another. Click here, here, here, here, here and here to view the
ads. DDB Travel and Tourism created the campaign and DDB Paris handled the media buy.

Maybe if I were born pre-1972, I could appreciate this ad. Since that's not the case, all I can say is, I'm glad I
didn't eat before viewing. "Everything should be seen in DIRECTV HD. Well, maybe not everything," says the truer-words-were-never-spoken print ad resurrecting Burt Reynolds,
circa 1972, for a two-page ad that appears in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The picture first appeared in the April 1972 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. Click here, brave readers, to see the ad. Personally, I like Reynolds better in M&M form. Deutsch Los Angeles handled all aspects of the campaign.

My Dad is going to love this ad. Mountain Dew's latest "Do the Dew" spot
features Chuck Norris as the butt of a YouTube-esque video upload. Norris tracks down the culprits, takes their picture and their Mountain Dews, and exacts his revenge online. Don't mess
with Chuck. Watch the ad here.BBDO New York created the campaign and OMD handled the media buy.

Chevy used Sunday's Daytona 500 to break new car and truck
advertising. New and vintage Chevys, along with rapper T.I., make their way to the NASCAR track infield in one spot. Love the mix to "Sweet Home Alabama" featured in the spot. Watch "Infield" here. T.I. also appears in "Switcheroo" with Dale Earnhardt Jr. The ad launched last
week and features the two trading Impalas for the day. Watch the ad here. Both ads show Chevy's transition at
NASCAR, from racing a Monte Carlo to racing an Impala. "Train" promotes the Silverado Heavy Duty and again features John Mellencamp music. Click here to watch it. In addition, there's an online contest where
race fans can enter to win Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Silverado. Campbell-Ewald created the campaign and GM Planworks handled the buy.

Commuter trains in Calgary have been transformed into ski gondolas for a Kokanee beer campaign. Looking to tap
into a younger audience and keep the brand's connection with the mountains at the forefront, the company wrapped the interior and exterior of two 70-foot trains with mountain imagery and gondola
doors. Grip Limited designed the three-month-long campaign and Pattison Outdoor wrapped the trains. Click here to see a larger picture.

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About the Author

Amy Corr is managing editor, online newsletters for MediaPost. She can be reached at amyc@mediapost.com.